Life without regret ∙∙
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:21
Philippians 1:6-20
6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.
20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.
“If you reach the end of your life with no regrets at all, you probably haven’t lived a very interesting life,” said Karl Pillemer, a gerontologist at Cornell University, in an interview with TODAY about his insights from older Americans. “But they just can’t believe how people waste their time—petty fights, resentments, and worry.”
Pillemer and his team conducted interviews with 1500 people over the age of 65 to uncover what they regretted most about their life choices. One of the top regrets, ranked at number seven, was not taking more risks in their careers. Many admitted to passing up opportunities because they feared change or felt too settled in their current roles.
“Our oldest generation is telling us that we need to live a life with ‘yes’ as our bias,” Jeremy Bloom, founder of Wish of a Lifetime, shared. His charity focuses on granting wishes for older adults.
The takeaway here is clear—you’re far more likely to regret not pursuing a career opportunity than trying and having it not work out exactly as planned.
The advice is straightforward: Unless there’s a strong reason to say no, lean towards saying yes to new career possibilities. Step out of your comfort zone and avoid boxing yourself into a routine (https://www.today.com/health/biggest-regrets-older-people-share-what-they-d-do-differently-t118918).
Life today, however, seems filled with challenges that foster despair, sadness, fear, and even a looming sense of doom. Many feel weighed down by personal hardships, poor choices, or unsettling world events. Will we allow ourselves to be defined by these factors to control or define our lives? Is it possible for us to have greater control over our present and future reality?
Paul would answer a resounding yes! He, too, faced deeply challenging circumstances and outright persecution, yet his perspective remained optimistic. His consistent joy and resilience stemmed from his decision to align his life with the Father’s purpose. He adopted the Father’s dream for his life as his own. Paul has learned to view everything from the Father’s perspective. Paul experienced great joy in the face of harsh and challenging conditions and mistreatment. Paul chose to be joyful and thankful.
How is this possible? What was the source of his joy and overcoming spirit?
Paul found joy, even in adversity, by focusing solely on Christ. He chose to live for Christ and the gospel. What happened to him personally mattered little as long as Christ was honored and lifted up and the gospel proclaimed. A child of the King is designed to be like “a telescope that brings Jesus Christ close to people. To the average person, Christ is a misty figure in history who lived centuries ago. But as the unsaved watch the believer go through a crisis, they can see Jesus magnified and brought so much closer” (Wiersbe).
Paul’s life and message remind us that while we can’t change the past, we can choose how we respond to challenges. Living with purpose, courage, and a willingness to step into the unknown can help us move forward with fewer regrets and greater joy.
REFLECT & PRAY
“God is faithful to finish what He starts. Once we accept Christ as our Savior, there is always more to walking with God than what we’ve known, seen, learned, or experienced” (Stanley).
Father, you are at work all the time. You invite me to participate with You. With all that I am able, I accept Your invitation. I commit myself to Your purpose and surrender my anxious heart to You.
INSIGHT
Paul’s life reflected the decisions he made. At a pivotal moment, Paul made a choice, and that choice defined his life. Afterward, he never looked back. No matter the circumstance, Paul repeatedly chose to serve the Lord. Serving Christ became the foundation of his life.
In Philippians 1:21, Paul boldly proclaims, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Trusting the Father replaces anxiety with peace and leads us to rest. As Weisbe observes, “When you have the single mind, you won’t grumble about your circumstances because you understand that even challenges will strengthen the fellowship of the Gospel.”
The poet John Greenleaf Whittier observed, “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.’”
What should be our goal as children of the King?
We should strive to live without regrets. How often do we think, “Woulda-coulda-shoulda”? While we can’t change the past, the decisions we make today can shape a better future. What steps could we take to ensure our future is filled with fewer regrets than our past?
Today marks the first day of the rest of our lives. We can choose this day to live in a way that leaves no significant regrets.
Wise choices enable a life lived without regret. Stanley suggests that any work we do is fruitless if we fail to partner with the Father in what He desires, where He directs, and how He orchestrates it. The Father’s blessing makes the difference between success and failure, satisfaction and regret.
The Father delights in transforming negatives into positives. He takes what the enemy intended for harm and uses it to bring Him honor and good into our lives.
When deciding whether to pursue an activity, instead of asking, “What’s wrong with it?” perhaps we should ask, “What is excellent about it?”
Paul encourages us in Philippians 1:10, “For I want you to approve the excellent things, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.”
Haggai 2:19 – Yet from this day on, I will bless you.
Tomorrow begins the first day of the rest of your life.
¯_(ツ)_/¯5-07-2
© Dr. H 2025
Dr H Reflections 